So let me be the first to start a discussion topic on the card spoiled in the BNG mechanics article called "Ashiok's Adept":
I... love this card! Firstly, it's black, my favorite color. Secondly, it causes troll-ish discard, which I always have fun with. Thirdly, its name suggests that Ashiok will be a big player either in BNG or Journey into Nyx (I forget the set code for that). And since I love Ashiok in every way (abilities, art, and story).... I'm very excited!
Also, given the name, this will probably be played in black/blue decks, so at least in constructed if not elsewhere, fun targeting spells and Auras will make this guy pretty powerful. His main drawback is his somewhat small body, but a little protection goes a long way. I assume the black Archetype will give all your things deathtouch, which helps, and it's not like there's no protection in black/blue .
I'm skeptical that it will get much constructed play. Heroic is just too hard to trigger consistently for most constructed decks.
I'm excited to see how this plays in limited. In particular, it allows you to make your opponent discard *at instant speed* which is something Wizards rarely allows.
Well, it can be hard to trigger in constructed, but not if he's in a dedicated Heroic deck . I would totally toss him in with other Heroic cards, self-help Instants and Sorceries, and useful Auras and targeted permanent abilities. I do think he can work well in the right deck, though I agree it'll be easier to utilize him in a limited environment.
Not certain on whether it'll make standard play, it seems borderline to me. I love it for limited. It can trigger after small stuff hits the board, meaning you have a good chance of hitting their powerful cards.
I dunno if I'm losing my mind or not, but I think this guy could find a place in Standard. Hidden Strings is the obvious choice here. So pretty much UB control going all-in on the discard plan. Thoughtseize, possibly Duress. Uh. Yeah.
Boon of Erebos works wonders too. Your opponent tries to kill 'em, you regenerate him and make the opponent lose another card. Woot.
I definitely think there is potential, but he's probably a turn too slow to be able to work efficiently enough.
i like this guy with hidden strings as a roadblock against creature strategies. make them discard, tap down their guys and still have a dude on the board? swing, tap down their guy and untap yours, they discard another card and you have a blocker?
it's good. good enough for standard? who knows. if enough people are ballsy enough to start playing blue-black heroic, i'm sure it'll start placing well at tournaments. the heroic-your-opponent-sacs-a-creature is insane enough to fit in there.
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Repeatable discard always has potential to be powerful. Heroic is clunky, but I'm sure a strong hand denial deck could be built around this guy and cipher Dimir cards.
Also, I like the fact that this guy and the disciple of phenax are both discard oriented. Two cards relating to high profile UB cards are discard instead of the mill UB usually gets stuck with. I'd like them to push Dimir more towards discard than mill, I'm so sick of mill being the go to direction for the devs when it comes to Dimir.
Instant speed discard is only a ''problem'' if its targeted discard, such as the Vendillion Clique play after draw step to kill your draw. That card just replaces it, but its already insanely good.
Anyway, if this card was two mana, it might have got there, but atm its not enough value for your investment in standard.
I agree with this. Discard that is both situational AND doesn't come online til turn 4? No thanks.
Nice little value machine in the right limited deck though.
Erm, as the OP suggested, I disagree with Ashiok's role in Theros. It's also possible that this creature's name was a fill-in and Wizards ask Karla Ortiz to do another card with similar effects to Ashiok's appearance.
If Ashiok were to play a role, wouldn't making it a Nightmare be more apt? Regrettable Wizards didn't do it then. Most planeswalkers' pets play well with their owners. This one could have been better designed. Again, I blame it on last minute fill-ins.
At last! An excellent sideboard choice for my orzhov heroics, you know, not like Agent of the Fates is useful against non-creature decks Too bad it is a 1/3 instead of a 2/2 or a 3/1, I'd prefer it as that.
There's a reason 99% of all discard is sorcery speed.
... This guy's isn't. Sure, it may not be optimal to do certain things for the sole purpose of making them discard, but if they slip into top-deck mode and you start making them drop cards before they can play them; not horrible. I forget when you are allowed to do something like this, it's been so long since there was instant discard anywhere. I'm thinking at the end of the draw step? Maybe someone with a bit of rules knowledge could help here.
Costing 2B isn't exactly awesome though.
The 1/3 body just shows how it goes into a defensive shell, likely control.
I wouldn't be surprised if this guy shines in limited. I like the idea of attaching a discard to every cantripping aura I play on him. There might definitely be matches where he wrecks their hand.
Probably not good enough for Standard, but making everyone discard seems to me like a reason to try it in Commander and other casual Constructed games. Nice art, too.
Kind of wish it was unblockable or at least had Intimidate, as 1/3 reminds me Shadowmage Infiltrator. The Hidden Strings deck is missing a good carrier for it, which often means you have to use it as a pseudo-Falter and end up not being able to connect next turn (unless Agent of the Fates was involved).
I'm not sure if this is good enough for Standard but it seems stronger than Triton Fortune Hunter. Doesn't die to Shock and lets you attack your opponent's removal base when you go off (instead of just flooding out).
I know that i can reapply the trigger ability over and over, depending on how much mana i have.
let's say that my opponent has no cards in his/her hand... After he draws a card during draw step, before going into main phase, Can i trigger the ability to make him discard that card or can i only do it during his main phase and discard it no matter if it's sorcery, instant (assuming that they forgot to use it in response), enchantment, artifact, planes walker, etc...
I am trying to utilize [[Ashiok's Adept]] to its full potential with a deck of mine that can utilize the heroic triggers consistently.
I... love this card! Firstly, it's black, my favorite color. Secondly, it causes troll-ish discard, which I always have fun with. Thirdly, its name suggests that Ashiok will be a big player either in BNG or Journey into Nyx (I forget the set code for that). And since I love Ashiok in every way (abilities, art, and story).... I'm very excited!
Also, given the name, this will probably be played in black/blue decks, so at least in constructed if not elsewhere, fun targeting spells and Auras will make this guy pretty powerful. His main drawback is his somewhat small body, but a little protection goes a long way. I assume the black Archetype will give all your things deathtouch, which helps, and it's not like there's no protection in black/blue .
What do you all think of it?
I'm excited to see how this plays in limited. In particular, it allows you to make your opponent discard *at instant speed* which is something Wizards rarely allows.
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Boon of Erebos works wonders too. Your opponent tries to kill 'em, you regenerate him and make the opponent lose another card. Woot.
I definitely think there is potential, but he's probably a turn too slow to be able to work efficiently enough.
There is too much opportunity cost in playing buff spells for your own creatures. Even with the double trigger cards.
it's good. good enough for standard? who knows. if enough people are ballsy enough to start playing blue-black heroic, i'm sure it'll start placing well at tournaments. the heroic-your-opponent-sacs-a-creature is insane enough to fit in there.
Also, I like the fact that this guy and the disciple of phenax are both discard oriented. Two cards relating to high profile UB cards are discard instead of the mill UB usually gets stuck with. I'd like them to push Dimir more towards discard than mill, I'm so sick of mill being the go to direction for the devs when it comes to Dimir.
I agree with this. Discard that is both situational AND doesn't come online til turn 4? No thanks.
Nice little value machine in the right limited deck though.
If Ashiok were to play a role, wouldn't making it a Nightmare be more apt? Regrettable Wizards didn't do it then. Most planeswalkers' pets play well with their owners. This one could have been better designed. Again, I blame it on last minute fill-ins.
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
Agreed. Though the card itself is just fine.
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... This guy's isn't. Sure, it may not be optimal to do certain things for the sole purpose of making them discard, but if they slip into top-deck mode and you start making them drop cards before they can play them; not horrible. I forget when you are allowed to do something like this, it's been so long since there was instant discard anywhere. I'm thinking at the end of the draw step? Maybe someone with a bit of rules knowledge could help here.
Costing 2B isn't exactly awesome though.
The 1/3 body just shows how it goes into a defensive shell, likely control.
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Though, if you set a nightmare free and it comes back to you... does that mean it was meant to be?
~DD
I'm not sure if this is good enough for Standard but it seems stronger than Triton Fortune Hunter. Doesn't die to Shock and lets you attack your opponent's removal base when you go off (instead of just flooding out).
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/heroic-path-to-immortality/
http://tappedout.net/mtg-card/ghitu-firebreathing/
I know that i can reapply the trigger ability over and over, depending on how much mana i have.
let's say that my opponent has no cards in his/her hand... After he draws a card during draw step, before going into main phase, Can i trigger the ability to make him discard that card or can i only do it during his main phase and discard it no matter if it's sorcery, instant (assuming that they forgot to use it in response), enchantment, artifact, planes walker, etc...
I am trying to utilize [[Ashiok's Adept]] to its full potential with a deck of mine that can utilize the heroic triggers consistently.
Thank you. I just want to hear this from more than one site to be certain.